Egan's Ledge
by McCurdian16
Summary: There's a curse behind Egan's ledge. Will Faye and Brain be able to figure it out before one of their closest friends disappears for a year? Only time will tell...


**Egan's Ledge**

Have you ever felt like things just don't add up? It's almost like you know the answer but you have no clue how you got it. That's how I feel now. My name is Faye and currently, I'm still on an airplane waiting to land in my new hometown. Even though I'm listening to a calming song on my MP3 player, I feel a few butterflies flittering about inside my stomach. I have one good thing about moving here though; I already know somebody in a sense. Joan. We met in an online chat room through friends and somehow fate or the universe or something bigger brought us together. She's told me many odd stories about this place; stories about curses, dark nights, how weird the air smells until you get used to it, and how eerie the wind sounds as it howls past your window. Maybe that's why I'm so nervous about moving in here. Not that I believe in curses or anything, it's just that the way Joan tells the stories, I can't help but wonder if they're somehow real. Joan has also told me about her job making computer programs alongside her friend and boss, Brain. Brain is called what he is for a reason; he's the smartest person in the whole town. Together they run a computer shop called "Computer Castle". They have a bit of competition from the only other computer store within a 10-mile radius, "Hardware Heaven". It's owned by some guy named Zane, who apparently has a lot of people working for him; some in his store and others for behind-the-scenes things he has going on. So apparently other than the computer stores, the town I'm moving to is very small, only has two schools, a small library, a police station, a post office, and a few other stores. I take a deep breath as the pilot announces that we're getting ready to land and I prepare myself to meet Joan in this place called Egan's Ledge.

"Hey there, Pixel Face, you look all 3D now!" Joan smiled as I walked out the door from the airport. "Hi Joan", I said back, "You look amazing, considering the only way we've talked to each other was through a screen". Joan smiled and took a bag from my hand. "Let me show you to your house." "Thanks! I really have no clue where I'm going," I said. As we headed out the door, I noticed the odd smelling air that Joan was talking about. It had a sort of mix of gasoline, old rubber tires, and artificial air freshener. Other than the odor, the town was pretty nice. A few trees here and there, a chirping of birds, and a peaceful wind that blew my hair as if it was already a part of the town. 'This is it, my new home," I thought to myself a bit uneasily, 'here we go.' As Joan and I got into a taxi that she'd apparently already called, I noticed someone a bit out of place. A man dressed in all black except for his brown shoes and shaggy blonde hair, who was staring at us like we were some kind of endangered species. "Joan, who's that man staring at us?" I asked, trying to hide the nervous tone in my voice. "Oh that's Zane, the owner of the other computer place I was telling you about.: It made me feel a bit better to know who the odd man was as we sped along the dirt road to God-knows-where. We were cruising along for a good little while until Joan yelled, "Stop the car!" Bumping my head into the seat in front of me, I gave her an incredulous look. "Oh, I wanted to show you Computer Castle and introduce toy to Brain." That made a lot more sense as I knew how much Joan loved her job at the little store. We got out of the car and were promptly greeted by a teenaged kid wearing glasses and a big smile on his face. "Hey, I'm Brain!" he smiled at us as if the plain sight made him the happiest kid on Earth. "Let me show you inside," "Sounds great." I said.

The sliding doors opened with a small swoosh as we walked in the store, instantly greeted by computers, TVs, and video games as far as the walls could take them. "So are you interested in working here, Faye?" Brain asked eagerly. "Well I just moved here, so I'm not sure if I'm ready for that yet…" "Are you sure?" He prodded. "Joan's working on a fantastic new program. It'll be great when it's done!" Joan smiled coyly at this; she and Brain exchanged a knowing look. "I'm sure. For now, anyway." I said. Awkward silence. "Well then," Joan said quickly, slipping the CD program she was working on in her pocket, "I better go to show Faye her new house." Brain merely nodded as we walked out and headed back to the taxi. Neither Joan or I spoke as we sped along towards my house. It was a quaint little house with a small porch and tall windows. I smiled as I walked towards my new house, new life, new future. Joan opened the door with a click and we walked in. Nothing rather special inside, but it would do. "So, want to hear more about the so-called curse here in Egan's Ledge?" said Joan. I tensed, but forced a smile. "Sure, tell me about it." "Alright, hmm let's see, where to start?" She said as she drummed her fingers on her chin. She drew a breath and began.

"Once long ago in this very town lived a girl named Egan. She was a quiet girl with fair skin and raven hair; everybody who saw her said she was beautiful. She had a supposedly easy life with people who loved her and a wonderful boyfriend. All seemed well until one day, it happened." She paused. "What happened?" I asked, getting rather curious now. "Well her boyfriend wasn't as nice and sweet as everybody had said. He called her into his house one night. The next morning, the cops found her, bloody, in a ditch just outside of town, and announced her dead." "Wow, that's intense!" I said, getting the butterflies back. "Yeah, but here's the really creepy part." She said, shaking her red head sadly, " 'Oh God, here it comes' I thought to myself. "Every year, on the same day she was killed, somebody goes missing. They always return a year later, covered in dirt and blood, alive, but physically weak and mentally unstable. The locals believed it was Egan's doing to get revenge since a note with the letter "E" written in blood was always found where the victim disappeared. They renamed the town hoping to appease Egan." she stuttered. "B-but it didn't work. S-somebody still goes missing e-every year!" "Holy crow," I said, "Doesn't anybody think to look for the people who go missing? Or maybe they could drive around and check on everybody that night." "Well they DO look for the person, but they can never be found. Maybe I should suggest your second idea for later tonight, though…." Joan said quizzically. "T-tonight? What do you mean t-tonight?" I asked in a voice that wasn't my own. Joan looked me dead in the eyes. "Because tonight," she stared, "Is the night somebody always goes missing."

Later that night, left alone in my house, I thought about what Joan had said about the curse. I tried not to get worked up, but it was almost impossible not to. Missing? Nobody finds them? Physically weak and mentally unstable? It seemed so…unlikely. Yet somehow deep inside me, I knew every word of it was true. I stayed on the subject in my mind, feeling trapped and anxious. Until something snapped me out of it; my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller-ID only to see Joan's name illuminated on the screen. Hesitantly, I answered, "Hi." "Hey there, can you come over to the Juice Café? Brain and I want to talk to you." Oh good nothing serious. "Sure, I'll be right there." The taxi ride over to the café proved neither peace nor solitude from the inner rampage of my mind. Seeing the glow of the neon lights and my friends smiling and waving did make me feel a bit better. Though the inner butterflies tore away.

As I got out of the taxi, Joan and Brain rushed over and gave me bear-hugs. "Hey guys!" I said as cheerfully as I could muster. I had to try to get the nonsensical curse out of my head, if only for a bit. "Hi Faye! Come meet our rival, Zane" said a winking Brain. Standing there under the lights stood the same man Joan and I saw earlier. Tall and lean he stood, towering over most of the other customers. "'Sup, newcomer?" he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes; 'oh brother' I thought as he shook my hand. "I heard that your friends are working on a great new program there, huh?" "Yes, that's right. I heard it's going to be great when it's finished," I said proudly. "Well then your little buddies might want to watch their backs. Wouldn't want anybody getting hurt, now would we?" His voice was light and joking, but his eyes pierced through mine like daggers. He couldn't stand the thought of being outdone! "Leave us alone, Zane!" I said with as much force as I could muster. He said nothing, merely slapped his hand on Brain's back, and walked out. We awkwardly sat down at a booth and ordered the juice. We didn't talk the entire time; just sipped juiced and watched people going by. "Well I better get home to work on the disc," Joan said absentmindedly. "Yeah I better go to unpack," I said just to get the hell out of there. I needed to be alone with my thoughts. We waved and parted ways for the night. Or so we thought.

As soon as I got home, I went to my new bedroom and crashed on my bed, falling asleep instantly. I woke up with a start, soon to realize that my phone was ringing once again. I looked at the clock. 4:03AM. Looked back at the phone; Joan. Sleepily I answered, "Hullo?" "Faye, It's me. Get over here right away. Something is wrong, really wrong!" Brain's voice shouted. "Brain, is that you? What are you doing at Joan's place this late?" I couldn't believe it, had they been together all night? "I went to check on Joan and give her an extra disc that she forgot at the store. I got here and the door just swung open by itself! I walked in, but she's nowhere to be found! I even found a crumpled piece of paper; Joan is a neat freak. Get here soon, Faye!" Click. The phone dropped to the floor, then my feet. I threw on a coat and ran outside, letting the door slam behind me. Zane said to watch their backs, but it was also the night of the curse. No! I mustn't let myself think like that! The night wind howled in my ears and whipped my hair around me in a frenzy as I ran. Joan's house was far away; the chill pierced my bare face like a million tiny knives but I didn't care. I needed time to clear my head before I lost it. As I finally came by her house, I saw a figure staggering in the distance. Whoever it was looked a real mess. Their clothes torn and dirty with a distinct red glisten spilled over the fabric. They were muttering something to themselves; disoriented. Walking with a limp. 'The curse!' was the first thought that came to mind. That person is the spitting image of the person who comes back every year…

I rushed upstairs Joan's house before Brain had a chance to say anything. I clutched a stitch in my side and leaned against a wall, panting. Brain grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards Joan's room. The room was small, but nice. A small bed, a desk with a laptop on it, a wide window, a chair and TV. Computer books mixed in with Harry Potter scattered this way and that. The thing that got my attention, however, was the computer screen. The monitor showing a search engine with "Computer " typed into it. Joan had put up a fight… Brain suddenly shoved a piece of crumpled paper in my hand. 'That's right, the letter' I thought. Joan's voice filled my head, "A note left behind with the letter E written on it in blood…" I threw the paper down; it felt damp and sticky. Brain said what I was thinking. "We have to look at the letter to find any clue to where Joan is." I looked at brain, my hand clutching the paper again. I started to unfold it, the flittering butterflies returned.

**Cast List**

Faye- Sam Puckett

Joan- Cat Valentine

Zane- Nevel Papperman

Brain- Freddie Benson

Egan- Jade West


End file.
